


Structure

by sg_wonderland



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-25
Updated: 2011-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-20 17:39:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/215334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg_wonderland/pseuds/sg_wonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty-five years is a long time to hold on to your guilt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Structure

Structure

Anna Duncan held back a sigh as she adjusted her husband’s collar. “Honey, you know you don’t have to do this, right?”

He managed to summon a smile at her fussing. “Yes, I do. I’ve avoided this for years and now it’s time I faced it.”

She patted his shirt one last time. “Then let’s go.”

*

The sun was bright; blindingly so on the sparkling windows of the NY Museum of Art. There were plenty of people milling about the museum on the early spring afternoon, the drudgery of a long winter eagerly forgotten as flowers and street vendors sprung forth in equal numbers.

Jake Duncan hadn’t set foot in a museum, this one or any other, in twenty-five years. One day, one error in judgment, had changed lives forever. Jake refused to work in archaeology again. He’d done what was expected of him; he’d returned to Egypt and packed up the Jacksons’ last dig, boxed up their belongings for their young son before returning to New York and taking up another line of work. Even if anyone would ever trust him as a dig foreman ever again, he couldn’t bring himself to walk back through that door.

He’d gotten a job in construction, learned as he went along and had eventually gone back to school, getting a degree in architecture. He hoped that building structures that could withstand the test of time would, in some small way, atone for the horrible mistake he’d made.

“Honey.” He blinked to see that his wife was looking at him, concern clouding her soft grey eyes.

“I’m fine.”

“Jake.” Her tone became stern. She’d been married to him for thirty-two years and she’d stood by him through those dark days.

“Okay, I’m not fine. But I think this is something I have to do.”

*

A brief memorial service had been scheduled for that afternoon and they had timed their arrival shortly before. A few rows of chairs had been set up outside the Egyptian Gallery and Jake and Anna ducked into the back row. There were a few more people milling around, some going into the gallery, looking at the chairs with vague curiosity.

Jake noticed one particular group that didn’t quite seem to fit his picture of typical museum patrons. A very large black guy was frowning at a display of artifacts, despite the attractive blonde at his side. Two men, one tall, lean, grey-haired and the other, a very young academic, trailed silently behind.

Jake realized the young man looked familiar and he mulled over the face, what he could see behind the long hair and overly-large glasses. Maybe a friend of one of the kids? Hmm, he didn’t look the football type so he couldn’t be one of JJ’s friends. Maybe one of that gang that Marci studied with? He’d be about her age, mid to late twenties. Part of him realized he was focusing on the kid to keep his mind off the impending service but that realization didn’t keep him from pondering even as the four sat in the reserved section.

The museum curator spoke briefly, talking about the Jacksons’ contribution to archaeology, how their discoveries were still, after a quarter of a century, among the museum’s finest pieces of Egyptian antiquities.

Jake’s eyes widened when the young man who had stirred his interest stood at the curator’s beckoning and walked to the rostrum.

Anna clutched Jake’s hand as he suddenly gasped. “Honey?”

“I…it’s Daniel.”

Her eyes flew forward, staring at the speaker. “Are you sure?”

“I just realized it.” Jake pressed her hand in that unspoken marriage code that said they’d talk about it later. He leaned forward, eager to hear young Daniel speak, haltingly at first, then strongly, gaining confidence. His memories were of a brilliantly precocious young boy who’d kept his parents, and indeed everyone on the dig, on their toes, lest they find him in a pit with some of the college kids or scampering over the dunes with the diggers’ children. He’d always been easy to spot, with that bleached-out hair and fair skin that refused to tan. Rarely quiet, he’d frequently asked questions to which there were no ready answers and dragged books around when most boys his age dragged bats and gloves.

Afterward, Jake stood, took a deep breath, gave Anna a smile and made his way over to Daniel.

“Daniel.” When he turned, Jake blinked hard. Dear Lord, he looks so much like Claire.

Jake realized he’s been staring when the grey-haired man he noticed earlier inserted himself in front of Daniel. “Something we can help you with?” His stance was ramrod straight and fairly screamed ‘military.’

“I’m sorry. It’s just…I haven’t seen you since you were a child.” Jake couldn’t stop the words, even though he knew he was close to babbling.

“I’m afraid I don’t…” Daniel peered at him, then a smile broke through. “Jake?” He nodded, still unsure of his welcome, shocked when Daniel offered a hand. “Jack, this is Jake Duncan, he was my parents’ dig foreman. He was with us in Egypt and…” Daniel’s voice petered out.

“I was here that day.” Jake said softly. “I was supervising. It was my fault, what happened.” They were words he hadn’t said aloud, not once in all those years, although he’d said them to himself plenty of times.

“No!” Daniel protested. “It was…it was just bad luck. You couldn’t have know what would happen.”

“I shouldn’t have let them stand under that damned cover stone.” Jake could tell by the look on Jack’s face that he pretty much agreed with that statement.

“I don’t blame you, Jake, I never have.” His eyes strayed over Jake’s shoulder.

Anna thrust one hand into Jake’s and the other toward Daniel. “Anna Duncan, Jake’s wife. I have to tell you, I feel like I’ve known you even though we haven’t met. After Jake would come back from those digs, he’d tell me all about ‘young Daniel’ and his escapades.”

Daniel’s friend snorted. “We’re the one telling those stories now. Colonel Jack O’Neill, Unites States Air Force. That’s Teal’c and Captain Samantha Carter over there.”

There was a general flurry of handshakes and nods. Then a long awkward silence before O’Neill tilted his head at Jake. “Let’s you and me take a walk.”

“Jack.” Daniel protested.

“Relax, Daniel, we’re just gonna have a talk, that’s all.” They could both feel Daniel’s eyes on them as they walked across the room.

“Colonel O’Neill, no one feels worse about what happened here than I do.”

“Oh,” O’Neill drawled. “I can name at least one person who might feel worse than you do.” Jake flushed. “Listen, I’m not going to point fingers or assign blame. I know you think you need to make up to Daniel for this. I’m just telling you to take it easy. It’s been hard on him and he still isn’t sure he should have come. If you need to make atonement, I’m all for that. If you can do that and not cause Daniel any more pain, then that’s fine.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Jake snapped.

“I know it was your job to set up the exhibit and because you screwed up, a little boy was left an orphan.”

“And you think I don’t know that? That I haven’t lived with that for twenty-five years?”

“Yeah, in your nice home with a family and a good life. Well, Daniel didn’t get that, did he? Be a man, own up to your mistakes and apologize for them.” O’Neill walked away to rejoin his group. Jake worked through his anger by studying a painting he wasn’t really seeing.

“Jack’s a little…” Daniel’s voice came from behind him.

Jake glanced over his shoulder at the man who wasn’t a little boy any more. “Is he always this bad?”

“Oh, he’s usually worse.” Daniel admitted cheerfully. “You do know that I’ve never blamed you for what happened?”

Jake shook his head, turned to face him, look him in the eye. “I don’t know why. I was the foreman, I was supervising the exhibit. We were more interested in getting the damned thing right than worrying about safety.”

“I think the operative word there is ‘we.’ It wasn’t just you, Jake, it was my parents, too.” He swallowed hard but kept going. “You should have known better but so should they. It wasn’t just you. Someone….,” he stuttered. “Someone should have checked the chains, someone should have made them stand outside. A lot of people didn’t do what should have been done and my parents died because of that. Not any one thing but a lot of bad decisions.”

“You’re very forgiving, Daniel. I’m not sure I deserve that.”

“You don’t get to decide. That’s my prerogative.”

“Really?”

Daniel shrugged. “That’s the way I see it.”

For the first time in a very long time, Jake found a bit of peace he wasn’t sure he’d ever find. “I am so sorry for what happened to Mel and Claire. If I could go back and re-live that day…”

Daniel flinched and interrupted him. “You can’t live like that. You’ll go nuts. I accept your apology.” He glanced at the Egyptian Gallery. “You ever been back?”

“No. I…I tried a few times but I couldn’t bring myself to come.”

“Me neither. How about let’s go in together?” He looked over at his team and Jake’s wife, trying to seem as if they hadn’t been watching the whole conversation.

“I think…I think I’d like that very much, Daniel, thank you.” They walked through the doorway together.


End file.
